Fur Flying Over Fake Furbies

LEGAL

December 24, 1998|BY JON BIGNESS Chicago Tribune

Elvis Furby has left the building.

Actually, there's no such Furby animal as the King. Elvis Furby ain't nothin' but one of the standard electronic toys dressed up in a gold jumpsuit and boots, thank you very much, and sold to the unwary as something special. And Furby's maker, Tiger Electronics, says that sort of thing is a ripoff and plans to sic lawyers on those who try to profit illegally on its creation.

A nefarious element is trying to capitalize on this year's hottest toy by peddling various physically altered Furbies on the Internet. The idea is to deceive frenzied Furby fans into thinking there are rare and collectors' editions of the toy.

In addition to Elvis Furbies, there are Ross Perot Furbies, Bill Gates Furbies and Santa Claus Furbies, as well as Furbies dyed different colors. And they're being offered on the Internet for hundreds of dollars, some going for as much as $1,000 each.

"This is not a small problem," says Audri G. Lanford, co-editor of Internet Scambusters, a monthly electronic newsletter. "Conservatively, we estimate that consumers have lost over $5 million so far, and the real number is probably two to four times that amount."

Lanford estimates that one in every 10 Furbies is sold by a scalper for at least $50 more than the retail price of $30. She says she has seen Furbies being auctioned online for as much as $800. Lanford decided to research Furby fraud after she paid $191 for what she thought was a rare, first edition "Tuxedo Furby." It was neither rare, nor a first edition.

For the uninitiated, Furby is an animatronic plush creature that looks like a cross between an owl and a Chihuahua. It has a computer chip inside that allows it to "talk" in its own language, called "Furbish," to other Furbies and in English to people. It is programmed to increase its English vocabulary over time.

Some people think Furby has the potential to be on par with the legendary Beanie Babies. This year, Tiger Electronics will sell 2 million Furbies.

The suburban Chicago company confirms there are no limited-edition Furbies on the market. The company, which was acquired earlier this year by Hasbro, produced an equal number of Furbies in all 72 possible variations. They come in six patterns: all white, all black, black and white, all gray, gray and white and pink and gray. And Furbies have three voice pitches and four eye colors.

Tiger Electronics' attorneys plan to go after people who are trying to make a buck off Furby's success, including the author of a Furby book and two women in England who are selling "Furby's Wardrobe" online, says spokeswoman Lana Simon.

The creator of the wardrobe, Stacey Aston, lives in a tiny town near Manchester, England. She and her partner, Bernadette Hilton, stitched together little Furby-sized ensembles, including one called the "Throne & Crown" that costs $30 plus $7 shipping and handling.

Tiger Electronics also doesn't condone the extortion-level prices some are charging for the interactive toy. But, at the same time, there's nothing the company can do about it, says Simon.

Simon said consumers who love Furby should wait to see what the new year brings:

Furby-related merchandise will flood the market, with everything from bed sheets and shoes to Halloween costumes and baked goods, as Tiger Electronics negotiates to license Furby out, she said. Furbies will also be available by next summer that speak French, Italian, German, Japanese and Spanish. Plus, McDonald's will include some type of Furby toy in its Happy Meals in the first quarter of 1999.

"If people don't get their Furby now, there will be plenty of Furbies available in 1999," Simon said.